After the Dust Has Settled
by ToaXabineh
Summary: (After Civil War, no pairings, fatherly!Tony). A month after the war between heroes, Tony couldn't help but wonder about how his new young friend, Spiderman, is doing after the battle at the airport. Not everyone can get hit by over a thousand pounds of force and just walk away. So what does Tony do? He goes to check on his favorite spider. (Now a oneshot/arc collection!)
1. After the Dust Has Settled

**Hello!**

 **So, I've never written an Avengers type of thing before, or at least nothing I've ever posted! But when I was looking up Spiderman on Google and saw the scene from Captain America Civil War where Peter meets Tony, and the airport battle scene, I had to write this out!**

 **Just to warn you, I haven't seen the whole movie! I've only seen snippets! Hopefully it won't matter, as this oneshot only involves a couple of the scenes that I _have_ seen on youtube!**

 **I'm sorry if Tony or Peter seem OOC! As I said, this is a first attempt at an Avengers type story for me!**

 **So...Yup!**

 **Disclaimer's on my prof.!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Tony stared up at the old brick apartment building before him.

It had been a month since Captain America and the other heroes who had sided with him had managed to escape, and in that month Tony had been busy. Retiring from the Avengers Initiative, helping build working supports for Rhodey's legs, and mountainous stacks of paperwork pertaining to damaged property at the airport were near the top of the list of things that had kept Tony Stark busy.

And now, the first time he had a moment to actually stop and breathe, he'd come _here_ , to the little apartment complex near the heart of Queens.

Tony prided himself on being self-centered with only occasionally caring about others, but for some reason, things were different with Peter Parker, AKA Spiderman.

Unable to get away from work and the cleanup effort after the all-out war between him and Steve, Tony had found himself often wondering how Peter was after the battle at the airport, even _worrying_ about the boy sometimes. After all, the boy only had six months of experience under his belt and was only _fifteen_ , but had fought Falcon, the Soldier, Ant-man (who had at the time been _Gi_ ant-man) and even Captain America himself.

Sometimes when Tony closed his eyes, he could see the battle still. A giant Ant-man stumbling and crashing to the ground, Peter being swatted away midair with enough force to crush a normal human's ribs...

Tony couldn't help but cringe every time he thought of that. Peter was a kid, just a _kid_...

He could still remember the odd sensation of fear as he'd landed nearby the downed super-teen, how horrifying it had been to see the teen's prone form motionless on the ground, how at the time he'd found himself... _scared_ , as he'd gingerly turned the boy over to see if he was alright, if he was breathing-

A grin curled at Tony's lips. Peter had been a bit disorientated at first, but after realizing it was only Tony, the boy seemed perfectly fine. He'd talked and acted like being smacked out of the air by a giant man was an every day occurrence (well hey, in New York, you never knew- it very well could've happened before).

And the kid had wanted to get back up and keep fighting! Tony, of course, had told him to go home. After the terrifying sight of seeing the teen be hit with more than a thousand pounds of force was enough to make Tony decide enough was enough and that this wasn't worth the boy getting hurt over. But still, the fact Peter had wanted to hop up and keep helping in the battle spoke volumes about the teen.

He'd been willing to fight, even though he was hurt...

So now, a month later, Tony stood before the apartment complex that Peter and his Aunt May called home.

It was weird, Tony mused as he entered the building and stepped into the elevator, how he'd been so scared for the boy and worried about him despite how very little they knew about each other. It was hard to scare Tony, but the teen had managed it.

The boy had grown on him. He could be childish, awkward, and distractible, but...Tony found that didn't matter. The kid had most definitely grown on him.

Reaching the top floor, Tony moved down the hall. He was a man on a mission. That mission?

Ensuring Peter Parker was healed and had no lasting damage from the airport battle.

Stopping in front of door 219, Tony rapped his knuckles on the old wood door. There was a muffled "coming!" from inside the apartment and some stumbling, the thud of someone tripping and hitting a wall, and some muffled curses. Tony grinned. For a teenage super hero with enhanced senses, strength and reflexes, Peter still held on to the clumsiness of adolescence.

There was the click of a lock, then the door was pulled open. Peter blinked up at Tony's smirking face, frozen for a split second with his mouth agape.

"M...Mr. Stark!"

Tony adopted a slightly irritated look.

"I wish you'd quit calling me that."

Peter stumbled over his words for a moment before moving aside.

"S-sorry. C-come on in!" Tony did so, moving down the small hall with Peter on his heels. "A-Aunt May's out right now. Y'know working."

Peter seemed to be calming down now, his words no longer coming out in a jumbled mess. Tony hummed in acknowledgement of the boy's words, dropping down onto the couch.

"So, does that mean I get to call you Spider-lad without having to worry about her overhearing?"

Peter frowned, sending a half-hearted glare in the man's direction. The expression wasn't a fierce as the boy wanted it to be though, the youthful roundness to his face making the glare more adorable than threatening.

"I'm Spider _man_."

"Technically you aren't. Not 'til you finish with puberty."

Peter rolled his eyes, sitting down on the other side of the couch. He appeared nervous still, keeping a good foot of space between himself and Tony. It wasn't too weird, the boy idolized Tony, both for his hero work and his scientific and technological work, and so it was no doubt intimidating to be in the same room as Tony for the boy.

"So, uh..." Peter rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "What's up? Did you need something, or..?"

Tony shook his head.

"Nah, don't worry. This isn't a business visit, kid, so relax."

Peter snorted, expression suggesting he wanted to retort with 'easy for _you_ to say', thought he didn't.

Tony took a moment to look over the teen. He was still as small and skinny as he'd been the last time they'd seen one another, though he might've gained a little more muscle in the past month. The boy sat normally, if perhaps a little stiff, but he didn't look as though he were favoring an injury. There were no purple or blueish hues of bruises on the exposed skin of Peter's face, neck and arms. He looked to be fully healed and healthy.

"I wanted to check in and see how you're doing." Tony finally explained. "You got hit with over a thousand pounds of force. Most people wouldn't be able to bounce back to quickly after that."

A smile curled at Peter's lips, an amused glint flickering through his dark eyes.

"Well I'm not exactly 'most people'." Stiffness leaving his thin shoulders, the boy leaned back into the couch a bit. "I'm okay now though, if that's what you wanted to know. I had some bruises and stuff, but...y'know. Spidey powers. I was all healed up after three days."

Tony felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"Good." He stated, nodding. "That's...That's good, kid. What about the new suit? Is it working out?"

Peter's face lit up.

"Its great!" The boy enthused, pulling up his legs and sitting indian style as he turned to face Tony fully. "Its way better than my old one! It protects me a lot more against knives and bullets."

Tony had to hide a wince at that. Peter was fifteen, he shouldn't have to worry about guns and knives, he should be worrying instead about girls or exams...

Shaking off his discomfort, Tony nodded approvingly.

"Good."

A somewhat uncomfortable silence fell between the two for a few minutes, neither quite sure what to say. Finally, Peter gathered enough courage to speak.

"I'm...I'm really sorry."

Tony raised a brow at the boy, honestly confused.

"Sorry? About what?"

Petter looked away, fiddling with a loose thread poking out of the hem of his shirt.

"I wasn't really helpful- y'know, at the airport? I kept blabbering on like an idiot and I couldn't even finish the fight..."

Tony looked gobsmacked as he fully understood what the boy was talking about.

When he'd told the boy he was 'done' and to 'stay down', Peter had thought Tony was saying that he wasn't doing a good job, that he wasn't being helpful and to just go home before he made things worse.

"Son of a- no!" Tony sputtered, making Peter jump. "No, kid, just...just _no_! Are you kidding me?! Pete, when I told you that you were done, its because I didn't want you getting hurt more than you already were! Not because you weren't doing a good job!" Tony ran a hand through his hair, muttering curses under his breath while Peter looked thoroughly confused.

"But-"

Tony held up a hand, silencing the teen.

"Kid, you fought the Falcon, the Soldier, and even _Captain frickin' America_! You came up with a plan to take down Ant-man after he turned into _gi_ ant-man! You've been a superheroing for what, seven months now? You did better than tons of heroes with years of experience out there do! I told you to go home because you'd gotten hit with about _two and a half thousand_ pounds of force- which, by the way, is _terrifying_ to see. I didn't want you fighting anymore, especially if you had anything broken or a concussion. I might be reckless, but I'm not about to risk someones life, especially a fifteen-year-old's!" Peter frowned at went to protest, but Tony beat him to it. "I don't care if you're a super hero, at the time I wasn't about to risk it."

Peter sighed, resting his cheek on the back of the couch.

"For a millionaire playboy philanthropist, you sure act like an overprotective dad."

Tony scoffed, waving a hand.

"I'm too young to be a dad."

A mischievous quirk of thin lips.

"Really? I thought I read just last week that you turned-"

Tony pointed at the boy threateningly.

"Another word and I'm taking all those fancy toys I gave you back."

Peter only smiled impishly. Rolling his eyes, Tony sighed.

"Look, the point is, I didn't send you home because you did bad. You did really, _really_ good. I'm actually kinda impressed you managed to make a Star Wars reference in the middle of a battle too. You get extra points for that." Peter laughed, and the sound made Tony smile. The man reached into his pocket, pulling out a folded slip of paper and offering it to Peter. "Here. If you ever need anything, hero related or non-hero related, you call me, got it?"

Peter gaped, looking between Tony's face and the paper.

"R-really?" The boy managed, "I..I don't-"

"Kid, you're a fifteen-year-old superhero who's stuck protecting one of the most criminal-infested states in the U.S. Someone's gotta look out for you. Whether that's me or your Aunt, you get to decide, but I'm not leaving until I know that someone's got your back."

Peter hesitated, then reached forward, gingerly taking the slip of paper as he nodded.

"Okay." He gave in. "Thanks."

Tony smiled, patting the teen's shoulder before standing up with a grunt.

"Well," He sighed. "I gotta get back to work."

Peter jumped up as well.

"O-Oh, yeah. Yeah, I get it."

Tony glanced at the young hero appraisingly, then bumped his arm against Peter's shoulder companionably.

"And if I see you web-slinging around and you don't drop by the tower, I'm gonna drag you over in the Iron Man suit."

Peter laughed shyly, ducking his head to hide a smile.

"Got'cha."

Peter was a good hero, Tony mused as he left the apartment. A good hero...

But an even better kid.


	2. The First Time

**Hey!**

 **So since I got such good reception with the oneshot, I decided I might try and make a little collection of oneshots and arcs that have fatherly!Tony and son!Peter! So here's another oneshot so I can see what you all think!**

 **This oneshot's a bit shorter than the first, sorry about that x.x**

 **Disclaimer's on my prof.!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Tony had been honestly surprised when, upon exiting the elevator on the top floor of the tower, he found Peter sitting on the long couch in the livingroom.

It wasn't that this never happened, quite the opposite in fact. Peter would regularly drop by the tower for a quick visit while he was on patrol, even the other inhabitants of the tower, such as Rhodey and Natasha, had become used to the young hero dropping in.

But something was different this time.

With his mask laying beside him on the couch, Peter had his knees hugged to his chest and his dark eyes were distant and sad. He looked so much... _smaller_ , than he usually was.

"Kid?" The boy didn't appear to hear him, so Tony tried again as he approached. "Peter?"

The teen gave a start, head snapping up and sharp eyes fixing onto Tony's questioning face. Peter's cheeks flared red, and he quickly popped up from the couch, turning to face Tony fully. Now, with the boy directly facing him, Tony could see that Peter's cheeks were damp and his big brown eyes were watery.

He'd been _crying_ , Tony realized with a nauseating sense of dread.

What was he supposed to do? Tony'd never been the type to comfort another, let alone a fifteen-year-old superteen.

"I-I, uh..." Peter hurriedly wiped the tear trails from his cheeks. "S-sorry, for, um, coming here without letting you know." The teen apologized hurriedly, stumbling over his own words. "I just...I...I didn't know where else to go." He admitted, sounding and appearing defeated as he looked down, toeing the ground.

Tony took in the slump of the youth's thin shoulders and the posturing that positively oozed a dangerous mix of frustration and depression. Slowly, Tony moved to the nearby kitchenette and deposited the case of paperwork in his hand onto one of the counters, taking the few seconds of silence that he afforded himself to figure out how exactly to broach this situation. The man turned back to Peter, approaching the boy.

"What happened, Pete?" He asked, surprising even himself with how gentle his voice was. His tone seemed to set Peter more at ease as the young hero relaxed slightly and looked relieved to not be in trouble for entering the tower uninvited. This change in Peter's posture thanks to his tone were encouraging to Tony. He could do this, he told himself. He just had to tread carefully.

Peter shifted from foot-to-foot uneasily, seeming nervous as he glanced up at Tony's face before quickly looking away. Tony frowned slightly, reaching forward and touching the teen's shoulder, making Peter flinch. Tony bent his head slightly to try and meet Peter's eye.

"Spidey?"

For the barest of seconds, Peter's lower lip wavered, and Tony realized that the source of the boy's troubles must've stemmed from something that had happened while as is alter-ego, Spiderman.

"I couldn't save him."

Oh.

 _Oh_.

Now it made perfect sense.

Every superhero was fated to have that one battle where they couldn't save someone. A person they loved or a random stranger, it didn't matter. That first time where you couldn't reach someone in time. Peter had only been in the business for seven and a half months, and it seemed that his time had finally come.

He'd been unable to protect someone and they had died.

"...Why don't we sit down." Tony finally managed, trying to ignore the lead-heavy feeling in his chest.

Peter nodded hesitantly, letting the man guide him back to the couch. The two heroes sat beside one another, close enough that their knees were just barely touching. Resting his elbows on his knees and threading his fingers together, Tony watched Peter carefully, waiting for the boy to start talking. It didn't take long.

"There was a carjacking." Peter started, voice barely more than a murmur. "I was chasing them down, and I managed to get them into a construction zone- the one on Fifth street? No one was there, they'd ripped up the road there and so it was all just empty dirt. I thought...I thought it'd be safe..." The teen paused, having to swallow a lump in his throat as he blinked back tears. "B-but there was this guy there, he...he was o-only twenty, only f-five years older than _me_...He was there w-with an R.C car, driving it around, a-and the carjacker's lost control of t-the car..."

Peter's voice cracked, and he bit his lip, squeezing his eyes shut and burying his face in his hands.

"I c-can't get it o-out of my head! I k-keep seeing the car just...Jus _hitting_ -"

"Easy there, kid." Tony found himself soothing the boy, wrapping an arm around wracking shoulders.

"I couldn't save h-him!" Peter managed through choked sobs. "I-I'm supposed to b-be there for p-people, supposed to p-protect them..!"

"Even heroes can't save everyone, Peter." Tony stated, voice uncharacteristically soft. "There's not a hero out there who hasn't been unable to save someone. Even I've had to go through that."

"That doesn't make it any better!" Peter snapped, jolting up to his feet so suddenly that Tony gave a slight start. Peter ran his hands through his hair frustratedly. "I should've tried harder! I should've done...done _something_!"

Tony grimaced. Peter, for only having been a hero for seven months or so, was amazing. He was smart, strong and brave, yet he thought he should've worked harder. Problem was the kid already put one-hundred percent of his effort in everything he did, it would be impossible for him to work any harder than he already was. Mulling over how to go about this, Tony finally spoke.

"How many people would've gotten hurt or killed if you hadn't gotten those carjackers into that construction sight?" Peter turned to look at the genius, startled. He opened his mouth, but Tony sent him a look while pointing at him. "And don't say you don't know, 'cause that's a lie and you know it. I've seen your I.Q scores, and I know you've done the math. So tell me, how many?"

Peter pursed his lips, glancing away.

"...Considering it was at rush hour...And...And at the speed they were going at...More than thirty people could've been hurt. Half of that number would've been probably killed, considering how many crashes the carjackers would've caused..."

Tony nodded in acceptance of this, standing and moving over to Peter. He hesitated, but quickly steeled his resolve and took hold of Peter's shoulders. The boy looked up at him, startled.

"Kid... _Peter_. You did what had to be done. Sometimes being the hero means you have to make the tough decisions- probably some of the toughest decisions of your life. You didn't know that there was someone at that construction sight, and I know you _definitely_ didn't go there planning to let those carjackers kill someone." Peter looked unsure, and Tony's grip tightened slightly in a show of support. "I know you, kid. You do everything you can to make sure that people are safe and protected. This wasn't your fault, it was those idiot carjackers. Pete, you can't save everyone- its statistically impossible, if you want to be logical about it. But every life that you _do_ save, that you _do_ protect, thats what makes it all worth it."

Tony felt Peter's shoulders go lax under his fingers, and the anger drained from the boy's face. Dark brown eyes turned down.

"I...Every time I blink, I see it...See that car and that guy..." A slightly nauseous look. "The blood..."

Tony grimaced.

"I wish I could say it gets better." He admitted. "If it did, I wouldn't be such an insomniac." Peter looked disheartened and Tony quickly continued, "But if you need someone to talk to, or just need to be around someone who gets it...Then I'm here for you, alright? You had my back during the whole airport fiasco, and I have your back now, got it?"

Peter smiled, the expression somewhat watery, and nodded.

"Got it."

Tony smiled in return, patting the teen's shoulder. The genius was admittedly relieved that he'd managed to handle this situation so well. When it came to a hero's first time of being unable to save someone, the situation could go from bad to worse in the blink of an eye. That danger had been even more threatening considering Peter was a hormonal teenager.

Turning to the couch, Tony picked up Peter's discarded mask, examining it for a moment before tossing it to Peter. The boy caught it easily.

"Its getting pretty late, bug boy. Better get home before your Aunt begins to freak out."

Peter nodded, quickly wiping his cheeks and adopting a more normal, happier expression.

"Yeah. Knowing her, she'll file a missing report if I'm not back by seven."

Tony crossed his arms, grinning as he watched the teenaged hero pull on his mask and go to the balcony.

"See ya later, Mr. Stark!" Peter called back over his shoulder, slinging a web to a building across the street.

"Quit it with the 'Mr. Stark' thing!" Tony called after him, still smirking. "Its _Tony_!"

As he watched the young red and blue clad superteen swing off, Tony was hesitant to admit it...But that kid was really something special. At least to him.


	3. Senses

**Hey everyone! Sorry I took so long to update, I've been super busy because my fam and I are getting ready to move, and packing is a pain in the butt DX But here it is! A shiny new oneshot! XD**

 **As always, I appreciate all of you who've read, faved, followed and reviewed this story! I ask that you all continue to tell me what you think of this, and pleaseplease PLEASE share ideas for future oneshots/arcs! I love to hear ideas, and if I use someones idea I will DEFINITELY give credit to them for the idea! So please share!**

 **Disclaimer's on my prof.!**

 **Enjoy and review!**

* * *

Tony sent an amused glance towards Peter over the paperwork he was reading. The super teen in question had dropped by when a storm started rolling in and was now messing with the "spider signal", as the spider-themed hero had dubbed it, looking up frequently at the red insignia that lit the ceiling above. The bright smile on the boy's face was a clear sign that he more than liked this particular addition to his webshooters, with the teen examining the signal above his head with unconcealed awe.

For all the lives he'd saved and the battles he'd fought, Peter somehow managed to keep an air of innocence to him, a rare feat for a superhero at any age. Impossible, usually, since heroes saw the worst life had to offer.

And yet Peter seemed to have retained quite a large amount endearing naivety despite these horrible odds, and that was shining through at this moment.

"Kid, don't burn out the LED projector." Tony lightly teased, "It was a pain getting it set up in the first place."

Peter jumped, slightly startled by the man's voice, then grinned sheepishly as he switched off the signal and tugged his sleeve down over the webshooter.

"Sorry." He apologized. "Its just...Its so _cool_!"

Tony rolled his eyes, setting aside the paperwork in his hand and moving towards the nearby bar to fix himself a drink. While he didn't make a habit of drinking much around Peter, the migraine developing in his temple demanded alcohol. Besides, Peter wasn't going to try alcohol just because he admired Tony, the boy was too smart for that.

A boom of thunder split the silence that had fallen, the sound loud enough to make the windows vibrate.

The sound also had Peter on the ceiling in one second flat.

Tony blinked up at the teen on his ceiling with an expression of mild surprise, and when Peter looked to him, he raised a brow.

"A little skittish there, bug boy?"

Peter's cheeks flushed red in embarrassment and he quickly dropped down. As the super teen stood, he regarded the dark clouds outside nervously. Tony frowned.

"Pete? What's up with you?"

Peter swallowed a lump in his throat, gaze flickering to the genius before returning to the large windows that comprised the wall to his left.

"I-I'm fine." The teen managed, clearing his throat when his voice cracked. "I just don't like storms. You know, ever since the bite, my senses..."

It took Tony only a moment to understand what Peter was talking about. He had never forgotten what Peter told him when they'd first met, how his senses had been 'dialed up to eleven'. That meant that not only did he receive too much input visually, but audio-wise as well. That particular clap of thunder moments before must've made Peter's brain feel like it was exploding-

Another roar of thunder made the floor quake, and Peter, while managing to keep himself off of the ceiling, clapped his hands over his ears.

Tony's mind ran a thousand miles a minute, his eyes quickly scanning the room for something that could solve this predicament. He couldn't leave Peter to suffer what had to be an excruciating amount of sensory input.

Dark eyes landed on a pair of headphones. Rhody's no doubt. The man liked to spend time listening to music, now that he couldn't do as much as he used to.

Setting aside his drink, Tony strode over to the coffee table and snatched up the headphones. He then moved to Peter, brushing the boy's hands away and covering his ears with the headphones. The teen blinked owlishly, surprised no doubt by the sudden lack of sound. He looked up at Tony, both curious and confused.

Tony only smiled, gesturing to the couch. The boy hesitantly sat, watching as Tony moved about and drew the window shades shut, removing the blinding lightning from sight. Tony then went to the bar, grabbing his abandoned drink. He then plopped down beside Peter, switching on the TV on the holographic screen before them.

The message, though silent, was clear: Tony was more than willing to wait out the storm with him.

Peter looked unsure whether or not to relax, but when Tony offered a lopsided grin, he felt secure enough to rest back into the couch. Tony watched from the corner of his eye, ensuring Peter was alright, before he turned his attention fully onto the show that was on the screen.

Tony absently wondered what it was like to have Peter's senses. It couldn't be fun, especially in busy, bustling New York. Everywhere you went there were loud vehicles and even louder people, at night the screens displayed in Time Square were blinding even to the non-spider bite enhanced eye, and there was no peace to be found other than inside one's home (and even not then sometimes). And for Peter? All of that sensory input...

Tony internally cringed and quickly took a swig of his drink. Happy thoughts, he told himself. Happy thoughts, Tony.

The billionaire jumped when Peter's head suddenly rested on his shoulder. Looking down, Tony had to bite back a chuckle.

Peter was out cold, face even more youthful in sleep than when he was awake. His knees were hugged to his chest, backpack with his Spiderman mask inside between his chest and knees. The headphones were still firmly planted on his ears and, apparently, doing a very good job at muting the pounding rain and peals of thunder considering the boy was fast asleep.

Tony rolled his eyes good naturedly, slinging his free arm over the boy's shoulders. Knowing Peter, he'd be out until the next morning- patrols always seemed to sap the energy from him, and with good reason. All that swinging and fighting and having to lift three tons worth of cars...

"Hey Friday." Tony called to his A.I. "Contact May Parker and tell her that Peter's staying overnight to help me out with a project as part of his internship program."

"Of course." The A.I replied.

Satisfied, Tony set aside his drink and carefully stood, making sure he didn't wake Peter. Once on his feet, the genius gently scooped up the boy.

Peter was in no way big. He was short for his age, and he was too light, nearly a feather in Tony's arms. He could feel the woven ridges of metal-laced spandex, Peter's Spiderman costume, through the boy's civilian clothing.

Once he had a secure hold on the teen hero, Tony made a b-line for one of the guest rooms in the tower, one that had been officially dubbed "Peter's room" after the spider-powered boy had fallen asleep several times in the tower and had stayed the night in this particular room. It was simple, compared to the rest of the tower, but that was Peter's style. It had plain eggshell white walls, with a large wall made entirely of windows to the right of the door and two simple light fixtures on the ceiling. A bed was at the middle of the back wall, a pair of matching bedside tables on either side at the head of the bed. A dressed was to the left of the door, a mirror hanging above it, and a desk was to the right. The floor was comprised of dark wood planks, with a plush rug under the bed. A door that was inlaid in the left wall led to a bathroom and a closet that Peter had taken over to hide a few spare Spidey suits and some civilian clothing, just in case.

"Close window curtains." Tony ordered allowed. There was a whir, and a pair of blackout curtains were mechanically drawn over the window wall. After a moment of thought, Tony added, "Dim lights to fifteen percent."

As the lights dimmed to a low glow that would be comfortable for Peter's eyes when he awoke, Tony managed to free a hand and drew back the covers on the bed. In the back of his mind, Tony registered that if any of the others- Clint, Steve, Bruce, Rhody and Sam, maybe even Natasha, were to see him doing this, he'd never hear the end of it. "Papa Tony", they'd call him. But at the moment he couldn't care less.

Carefully laying Peter down on the bed, Tony pulled the covers up over the young superhero. Peter immediately clung to the sheets, Nuzzling into the pillow with a content sigh. Tony chuckled, readjusting the headphones on the boy's head- no need for him to wake up thanks to the storm, the boy deserved his sleep, especially after a patrol. The billionaire paused for a moment when his fingers brushed against the boy's soft brown locks. After a second of thought, Tony carded a hand through the teen's hair, smiling to himself.

He always said he didn't like kids, but Peter was the one exception.

"Sleep well, kid." Tony murmured. He knew he couldn't be heard, but it just felt right to say.

* * *

By seven thirty the next morning, the storm had mostly cleared, though there was still a blanket of storm clouds hiding the sky from view, and a light drizzle continued to sprinkle down. Tony was downing a third cup of coffee after a night of updating one of his Ironman suits, flicking through news on an Stark-pad when Peter stumbled in. The boy's mouth was agape with a yawn, and a thin hand was running through messy hair while the other clutched the headphones from the night before. Tony smirked slightly as he noted that the sleeve of Peter's Spiderman suit was peeking out of his civilian clothing.

"Sleep well, kid?"

Peter hummed, trudging over and plopping down on the couch beside Tony.

"How long was I out?" The boy asked, words slurred.

"Eight hours, give or take a few minutes." Panic sparked in Peter's eyes, and Tony quickly added "I called your Aunt May and told her you were staying over to help me with a project. Don't have a heart attack, Spider-Lad."

Peter frowned.

"Spider _man_."

Tony simply grinned into his cup.

Peter sighed, slumping into his seat.

"Thanks for covering for me."

Tony grunted in acknowledgement. The two sat in silence for a moment before Peter turned a questioning look onto the billionaire.

"How'd I end up in the guest room."

Tony's cheeks flared red.

"I-I" Tony cleared his throat. "I carried you." At Peter's surprised expression, Tony pointed at him. "Don't you dare tell anyone."

Peter grinned mischievously.

"Going soft there, Mr. Stark?"

The teen yelped as he was swatted over the back of the head.

"Okay, firstly, don't call me Mr. Stark. It makes me sound old, I've told you to call me Tony. Second, don't make me sound like a teddy bear."

Peter laughed, eyes shining with amusement.

"Whatever you say, Tony."


	4. Doc Tony

**Tada! A new oneshot! YAY!**

 **So, this chapter has the kinda cliche idea of Peter getting hurt and going to Tony, BUT! Rhodey's around! What will he think of our web-head hero? XD**

 **Disclaimer's on my prof.!**

 **Sorry for any spelling errors, my 'B' button is hanging on by a thread and so typing is tougher DX**

 **Enjoy and please review with ideas for future oneshots!**

* * *

Rhodey had known Tony for a long time. He liked to think that he knew the man as well as Pepper did, and prided himself on being able to see right through the billionaire.

But when Spiderman came to the tower, knocking on the window while covering a gaping wound in his shoulder, he saw a whole new side of Tony.

The moment he'd registered what he was seeing, Tony was on his feet and rushing to the window, opening it to let the young superhero in. The spider-powered male managed to carefully pull himself in, cradling his shoulder. Rhodey could now see that the hero's suit was torn and ripped in many places and stained with blood from many small cuts. From how he limped, the young man was likely sporting a sprained ankle.

Rhodey couldn't help but feel supremely bothered by how injured the spider hero looked. He supposed it was because the young man sounded young- maybe twenty? Too young for the hero business. Too young for injuries like these.

"Son of a- what happened?!" Tony demanded as he took Spiderman's uninjured arm and slung it over his shoulders, helping him towards the couch. Rhodey carefully stood, trying to ignore the discomfort he felt when using the leg braces he was only somewhat use to using. He went and sat on one end of the couch.

"It looks- _agh_...It looks worse than it is..." Spiderman managed, flinching and wincing his way onto the couch's plush cushions. "I- _ow_...I'll be fine in a day or two. Perks of an enhanced healing factor."

"That doesn't make it any better!" Tony snapped. "I mean holy crap, kid, you've got a _hole_ in your shoulder!"

The young hero cringed at that, hand going to the mentioned wound.

"Okay, maybe it'll take three or four days for that to heal up..."

Tony looked conflicted, seeming unsure whether to be angry at Spiderman for getting hurt, worried because of all the blood, or furious at whoever had done this to his young friend. Rhodey could've sworn Tony looked ready to go grab his Ironman suit and hunt down whoever had done this to the young hero.

"Stay here, kid. I'll go grab the emergency aid kit from Bruce's room." He gently pushed Spiderman back so that his back was leaning against Rhodey's arm. "Rhodey, make sure he doesn't move around."

Rhodey nodded, deciding to ignore the way Spiderman squirmed a bit uncomfortably against his arm.

"Got it."

The billionaire left, and it was just Spidey and Rhodey. It was uncomfortable, to say the least, since the two hardly knew each other.

After a minute or two of awkward silence, Spiderman finally spoke.

"So, uh...those leg things, Tony made them for you, right? Are they working okay?"

Rhodey looked surprised, then his expression softened. It figured that Spidey would be worried about him and how he was handling life now with his paralysis.

"Yeah, Tony made them. They work great, no need to worry about me, Spidey."

The young man again squirmed, still seeming a bit uncomfortable.

"I...I wish I'd b-been able to help y-you all more with the fight." He rambled, tripping over his words. "I-I wish I could've been there when you f-fell, b-because maybe then I could've done something a-and-!"

"Woah, woah! Easy there!" Rhodey quickly interjected, making calming motions with a hand. "Slow down, take a breath. Hyperventilating won't help you, especially not in your condition." He reached forward, resting a hand on Spiderman's knee. "You did everything you could, and you helped out a lot. You managed to bring down a giant, four-story tall Ant-man! You faced Captain America, the Falcon and even the Winter Soldier on your own, and that's nothing to sneeze at. What happened to me...No one could've done anything. But I'm going to be fine."

Spiderman still seemed guilty.

"I just-"

"I've got the emergency kit." Both Rhodey and Spidey looked up as Tony reentered, a large first aid kit in hand. "Alright Pe-...Spidey," Tony amended quickly, catching himself. "Off with your top. I gotta get a look at your shoulder."

"Uh...That's easier said than done." Spiderman commented, looking down at his injured shoulder dubiously. His arm was limp at his side, useless since the young super hero couldn't use his shoulder at all. Tony grimaced.

"Good point. I'll cut you out of it - Don't even give me that look, I made extras when we were fixing up your costume, I knew this'd probably happen some day." Tony moved over, sitting across from Spidey on the couch as the spider-themed hero carefully turned sideways to face him, and the billionaire set the kit on the coffee table and opened it, revealing a multitude of medical equipment inside. Gauze, braces, pain-relievers, medical-grade thread for stitches with several sterilized needles alongside them, disinfectant, wads of cotton and even a emergency blanket folded into a small, neat square. All of this (and more) was neatly organized within the kit.

Grabbing a small pair of sharp, steel scissors, Tony turned to Spiderman. The young hero cringed when Tony reached for him, and Rhodey noted that a surprisingly large amount of guilt flashed across Tony's face. The guilt was shoved down, and Rhodey watched as Tony offered a halfhearted, somewhat grim smile.

"C'mon, I haven't even started on the stitches! If you can't handle me just cutting your costume away, what're we gonna do when I have to start using the disinfectant?" He teased gently. When the young hero remained tense, Tony added, "Don't worry, you don't have to take off your mask."

This statement made Rhodey realize that the masked vigilante probably wasn't too keen to reveal his face while someone like him, someone who didn't know his secret identity, was around.

"I can leave, if you'd like." Rhodey offered, sending a pointed look at the elevator. Spiderman shook his head quickly.

"No! No, its okay. It wouldn't make sense for you to leave, not when I'm here just for a quick fix up and will be gone in, like, ten minutes."

Tony scoffed.

"More like twenty minutes, kid, at the absolute _least_." The billionaire sent a fleeting glance at Rhodey. "But he needs to get used to this sort of thing. With you living here and him always dropping by? Well, I'm not surprised you two haven't gotten formally aquatinted before now. Just stick around."

Finished with cutting away the top of Spiderman's costume, Tony carefully pulled down the split fabric to reveal the young hero's arms and torso. Tony grimaced, giving a hiss of sympathy as he took in the colorful patchwork of bruises, dried blood and cuts. Rhodey found himself internally cringing as he noted the number of scars that were etched into the lightly tanned skin of the spider-hero's body. It was clear Spiderman had been through quite a lot, despite being so new to the hero biz.

Tony was quick to shake himself off and grabbed a bottle of disinfectant and a few wads of clean cotton. As the man opened the bottle and wetted a few of the cotton wads, Rhodey noticed that Spidey was already bracing himself. The young hero was no stranger to the burning sting of antiseptic on an open wound, it seemed.

Silence fell, and Tony worked quickly, wanting to avoid placing Spiderman in discomfort any longer than necessary. Spidey didn't make a sound, only wincing at the burn of disinfectant and giving the barest of pain hisses when Tony started on stitching up the worst of his wounds. Soon, the silence became unbearable, and Rhodey took it upon himself to break it.

"Mind if I ask how this happened?"

Spidey's head turned slightly, and Rhodey could feel the eyes that were hidden behind the dark lenses regarding him. For a moment, Rhodey thought the young hero might not answer-

"I was stopping a gang fight and a couple of them got in some lucky shots." The hero gestured to his injured shoulder with his working arm. "Got stabbed, but otherwise I didn't get anything too serious."

"Serious of not, you'll be sore for the next few days." Tony retorted, sending Spidey a disapproving look. "I thought I told you to be more careful on your patrols?"

"You did."

"And?"

The young man shrugged.

"I wasn't."

Tony sighed, shaking his head as his eyes returned to his work.

"You're going to be the death of me, y'know that? Not any of those crazy super villains I fight every other week, _you_."

Spiderman laughed, though he winced when his wounds ached in protest.

"Ah, _ow_ , don't make me laugh..."

Finished with all of the stitches, Tony set aside the needle and medical-grade thread and reached for a roll of gauze.

"Now you'll have to avoid any strenuous activity." The billionaire pointed at the young man sternly. "And that means _no patrol_. Not for the next two days at least, got it? I'll know if you do, and I'll personally drag your scrawny a** back to your house if you do."

Spidey groaned, head lolling back in exasperation.

"Figures this would happen the day before I have to take the fitness test in gym..."

The young hero spoke in little more than a mutter, but Rhodey still caught what he said. The man's mind was sent reeling at the young man's statement. Fitness test? Gym? Gym as in a Physical Education class? Then that would mean...

Tony yelped, dropping the roll of gauze in his hand when Rhodey suddenly punched him, _hard_ , on the arm.

"Ow! Rhodey! What the f-"

"You idiot!" Rhodey snapped, face enraged. "He's a kid, isn't he?!"

While Tony gaped, surprised, Spidey seemed to panic and stood to bolt. Tony was quick to grab his forearm and pull him back down onto the couch.

"Woah! Easy there, underoos!" Still holding onto the teen's arm, Tony turned to face the furious face of Rhodey. "Rhodes, I know it sounds bad-"

"Because it _is_ bad you idiot! He's a kid, he's too young for all this-!"

"Look, it was his choice to become a hero, not mine! I'd rather he have me as backup instead of have him just going around on his own without any support!"

"It was your choice to bring him into the fight against Cap and the others." Rhodey retorted, voice little more than an angry whisper. "You pitted him against Falcon, the Soldier, Captain _frickin_ ' America and a giant Ant-man..." Rhodey looked as if he were in pain. "D***, he got hit by Ant-man, over a thousand pounds of force..."

Tony cringed at that reminder.

"...I know." He admitted. "I was an idiot for pulling him into that. But I'm not going to try and force him to stop being Spiderman, because I know he won't, no matter what I say or do. All I can do is try and be there to help him whenever he needs it."

Spiderman still appeared on edge, and he froze up when Rhodey looked at him. The man's expression softened.

"What's your name, son?"

Spidey's good shoulder hiked up in fear, and he looked like he wanted to run. Tony, though, rested a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Kid, he's already guessed your age...You can trust him. Rhodey won't tell anyone your identity."

Rhodey nodded in agreement.

"I'll take your secret to my grave." He promised solemnly.

Spiderman regarded Tony and Rhodey in turn, seeming hesitant. Finally, though, his shoulders slumped in defeat and he reached up with his good hand, carefully peeling away his mask.

As the boy's hand with his mask fell to rest in his lap, Rhodey stared at the teen's face, feeling his heart twist painfully.

The teen grimaced, eyes lifting to meet Rhodey's for a second before turning away shyly.

"...Peter. My name's Peter."

The boy's, _Peter's_ , face was far younger than Rhodey could've imagined. If he had to guess, Rhodey would have to say that Peter was probably fifteen, sixteen at the absolute most. He had tousled brown hair and dark eyes that held an intelligence that was rare to see in one so young. His face, while loosing the soft curves of youth, was still somewhat round. A colorful bruise stained his right cheek a blue-purple. The boy was biting his lip, clearly nervous.

Swallowing the feeling of worry he was experiencing, Rhodey managed a kind smile and offered a hand.

"Its nice to meet you, Peter."

Surprise flashed across the teen's expressive face, yet after a split second of hesitation, Peter shook the man's hand and offer a shy smile of his own.

Tony, seeing that the situation was defused (though he knew Rhodey would probably have a lot more to say after Peter left), picked up the gauze he'd dropped. When Peter's eyes turned to him, the billionaire smiled.

"I think you should stick around here tonight. I don't want you web slinging with your shoulder out of whack, and at this time of night? The subways are full of whackjobs."

Peter looked like he wanted to protest, but when he realized that Tony would probably not cave on this, he nodded.

"I'll call Aunt May."

With a grunt of effort, Rhodey stood, quickly catching his balance once on his feet. Ignoring how Peter glanced at his leg braces, the man smiled.

"Why don't I get you something to eat, kid. You're probably starving."

The mention of food made a rumble sound from Peter's stomach, and the teen flushed a bright red while Tony snorted in amusement and Rhodey's smile widened.

"Uh...Y-yeah, food would be good."

Rhodey nodded and headed for the kitchen. As he carefully walked, Rhodey went over this stunning new information he'd learned, and felt a spike of protectiveness in regards to Peter.

From now on, he'd make sure to let the young hero know he could come to him for anything, just in case Tony wasn't around at any point in time. Peter needed as many people looking out for him as he could, after all.


	5. Finding Out What Happened

**Hey!**

 **So...Yeah, this took a while, I know, and I'm super sorry! I just had to find inspiration! Please don't be mad TT_TT**

 **Anyway, this takes place during Homecoming! This is what I think should have happened right after the fight with Vulture, because I mean, holy crap! He had a building dropped on him, had metal talons nearly skewer him, friggin' SOMEONE had to have checked up on him! Right?**

 **Well this is my take on what could've happened!**

 **Please tell me what you think, and review! If you have any ideas for future oneshots for this collection, let me know!**

 **Disclaimer on my prof.!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Tony's heart was ready to leap right out of his chest.

Two hours ago, he'd been relaxing. He'd gotten a call from Happy, the plane had left right on schedule, everything was good.

Then half an hour ago, he'd received another phone call from Happy. Not too surprising, Tony figured it was just an update, that the sensitive contents of the plane had arrived.

But of course, Tony wasn't that lucky.

And now here he was, fully clad in his Ironman armor and searching for Spiderman.

Tony couldn't believe he'd thought even for a second that the pint-sized powerhouse that was Peter Parker would give up heroing just because he took away the fancy suit. To be fair, Tony wasn't used to Peter's particular brand of teenage stubbornness. Or maybe the stubbornness was just a trait for those of the Parker family.

Tony shook that thought away. Now wasn't the time. Right now, his concern was finding the currently missing spider-powered teen, because Happy had told him that while Peter's unmistakable webbing had been found at the plane crash site, Peter himself was nowhere to be seen.

And that downright _terrified_ Tony.

Happy could handle the crash and inventory of all the tech, Tony's one and only concern right now was Peter.

Tony was feeling, admittedly, pretty terrible right about now. He had no way to track Peter without the suit he'd taken away. He tried to have Friday locate the boy's phone, but it had been left in the car of Adrian Toomes, the one who'd tried to hijack the plane. Right now, Spiderman was off the grid, and that left Tony to search the old fashion way.

Guilt was starting to weigh on him. After the ferry, he should've taken a step back. Should have taken a breath. But instead he'd gone right after Peter.

He'd wanted the boy to listen to him and not get involved. Tony took the kid seriously, and he would handle the issue.

But he'd neglected to tell Peter that he'd take care of it.

Tony should've said something, even just a quick " _alright kid, I'll send someone to take care of it"_.

But he hadn't. And Peter had probably thought that Tony didn't believe him, and he'd gone to the ferry to try and take care of it himself because no one had told him it was already being handled.

Sure, Peter made some mistakes, but Tony made quite a few himself in that situation. And because of that, Peter had been forced to fight a dangerous criminal without the protection of the suit Tony made. He'd fought in nothing more then a hoodie and homemade mask.

And to add to the massive guilt, Peter had fought a criminal with no real protection _for Tony_. Even after their argument, after the suit had been confiscated, after _everything_ Tony had done, Peter went and prevented the theft of dozens upon dozens of priceless technology pieces that Tony owned.

Tony couldn't help but imagine Peter hurt somewhere, bleeding out, skin shredded to bits and-

The man quickly shook himself. He had to focus! Panicking would help no one, least of all Peter.

"Friday, anything yet?" Tony asked, eyes flickering over the displays inches before him, searching for anything that would indicate Peter. A heart rate slightly sped up from a radioactive spider bite, a small form crouched on a building, or clinging impossibly to the side of a wall. Nothing showed up.

 **"I have detected a life signal atop the Coney Island _Cyclone_ rollercoaster, Boss. It matches Spiderman's profile." **

Tony jolted at the A.I's announcement, immediately turning.

"Get me there. Fast." He demanded, feeling a nauseating twist of fear in his gut.

It took two minutes, and that was two minutes too long in Tony's opinion. In the flashing lights that lit up the _Cyclone_ , Tony could see the small outline sitting atop one of the hills of the rollercoaster.

Peter.

Tony immediately approached, and the sound of the Ironman suit's thrusters drew the teen's attention. Large brown eyes met the Ironman faceplate, and Tony felt a jolt of pain as he saw the dark bruise that blossomed over the entire side of the boy's face.

"Kid..." Tony breathed, unable to form any sort of a sentence.

Peter looked like death warmed over. Despite wearing a red hoodie, it was easy to see the blood that stained it a darker brownish-red. At each shoulder and the boy's gut, there were puncture wounds that were partially healed, thanks to Peter's healing factor (Tony didn't even want to think about what the wounds had looked like when they were fresh). His hoodie was torn and singed, and every little movement made Peter wince with pain. He was no doubt hiding bruises and lacerations beneath his clothing. The boy's eyes, usually lit with excitement and happiness, were dull. Peter looked...tired. Worn. Like he'd seen far more than anyone should have to. He probably had.

Friday was speaking in his ear, already scanning the young vigilante.

 **"Multiple** **contusions and lacerations detected. There are several small burns, mostly along the arms, hands and face, and there is severe muscle strain across the subject's entire body. Six puncture wounds, two on both the front and back of his shoulders, one in the abdomen and one in his lower back, beside the upper lumbar vertebra. Subject is also suffering from a mild concussion, as well as internal damage, particularly around the puncture wound in his abdomen. Immediate medical attention is advised."**

Tony swallowed the lump in his throat, coming closer.

"Peter."

It took all of Tony's willpower to keep his voice from wavering.

Peter blinked up at him slowly. No doubt the concussion was messing with his head. It took the boy a couple moments to form an answer, and it wasn't what Tony had expected.

"Mr. Stark...I...I might've missed...a couple tech crates." Peter's voice was slow and soft, and it cracked in his dry throat. "I...tried to get them all, but I lost my mask, and the cops-"

" _Peter_." Tony interjected, a small huff of laughter leaving him- of _course_ that's what Peter was worried about, the little idiot. His faceplate flipped up so that he could see Peter with his own two eyes. "That is honestly the _last_ thing I'm thinking about right now."

Peter hummed a note of confusion, head tilting as he watched Tony carefully land in front of him, the feet of the suit magnetizing to the rollercoaster tracks to keep Tony from falling. The inventor crouched down to bring himself to the injured vigilante's level. It was all Tony could do to keep from shaking. This...This was all his fault. Peter was sitting here, hurt, because of Tony's own stupidity.

"K-Kid-" This time Tony's voice did crack, and he cleared his throat.

Peter stared at him calmly, as if he wasn't just sitting here hardly in one piece and bleeding through several wounds.

"I...I know I wasn't supposed to...to do this stuff anymore..." Guilt flickered across the teen's expressive face.

Tony's heart twisted violently, and he felt as if he'd just been punched in the gut. He quickly shook his head.

"No, kid, just-...Just _don't_ , okay? I...I was wrong, alright? I was really, _really_ wrong."

Peter's brow furrowed in confusion. He seemed to take a minute to process this, then,

"I...I did good..?"

Tony nodded immediately.

"Yeah. Yeah, you did great, Underoos."

The nickname made the corner of Peter's lips twitch up, but this was followed by a wince as the minuscule movement disturbed the large bruise on his face. Tony reached forward, then hesitated.

"Look, I'm gonna get you outta here, alright? We'll go back to the compound and get you patched up, and I'll call your aunt and cover for you. But it'll...its going to hurt, okay? I'm going to pick you up, and it'll hurt, but we need to get you out of here and somewhere safe."

Peter only hummed in acceptance, too tired now to reply, it seemed. Eyelids drooped, and Tony felt a lurch of panic.

" _Peter_." He snapped, slapping a hand against his knee. Metal met metal, and the resulting clang made Peter jump The movement made the teen give a sound of pain, but right now Tony couldn't feel guilty. "You need to stay awake, kid."

Peter looked none too happy, but grunted.

"'Kay."

Faceplate flipping back down, Tony reached back out and slowly, _carefully_ scooped Peter up and stood.

Tony almost jumped out of his skin as a cry of pain left Peter and he realized his arm as pressed against the puncture wounds in the backs of the boy's shoulders. He quickly adjusted his grip, resisting the urge to put Peter back down so as to not cause him any more pain.

"Hold on, Pete. I know it hurts, but it'll only be for a little while, alright?" The genius promised, quickly taking to the air. He held the small hero close, trying to shield him from the biting cold air as best he could. "Friday: Contact Helen Cho, let her know she needs to have the medbay at the compound ready in twenty minutes."

 **"Right away, Boss."**

Tony's gaze turned to Peter. The boy had turned to hide his face in Tony's armored shoulder, teeth grit against the pain. Even now, exhausted and in pain, Peter was trying to keep from vocalizing his discomfort. Tony's attention flickered away from the boy for a moment when Friday spoke again.

 **"Boss, Mr. Hogan has retrieved all video surveillance of the fight between Spiderman and the Vulture to protect Spiderman's identity. He wishes to know what you would like for him to do with the footage."**

Tony pursed his lips. He hadn't even thought of that, of protecting Peter's identity by retrieving whatever footage had caught the young vigilante's face. He'd have to thank Happy later.

"Have him send it all to my personal files and make sure nothing was missed. If any other camera's caught Peter's face, scrub them."

Friday was silent, and Tony took this as confirmation that she was doing just that.

Eyes returning to Peter, Tony felt his throat go as dry as sandpaper.

This was all his fault.

* * *

Tony sat quietly in his lab, staring at the screen of the Starkpad before him.

It had taken five hours, multiple doses of strong anesthesia, a mild surgery to check the internal damage and dozens upon dozens of stitches, but Peter had finally been patched up. He'd been lucky that the puncture wounds had missed anything vital, and even luckier that his healing factor had already started working on the internal trauma.

But it had been way too close for comfort, Helen had informed him. The only real saving grace was that whatever had caused the punctures had latched onto more clothing than they had Peter. The injuries had been shallow enough to miss any internal organs, and Tony thanked his lucky stars for that.

Peter would recover. He'd hurt for a little while, but he'd _be_ _okay_.

The boy had conked out the moment he'd been told he could, and now Tony sat by his bedside in the medical wing, debating whether or not he actually wanted to see just how Peter had gotten all his injuries.

On one hand, he wanted to know just what the Vulture had done. On the other hand, he was already having a hard enough time seeing Peter injured, he dreaded the very thought of watching Peter gain those injuries...

Tony scowled, shaking his head to himself and steeling his nerve. He had to know what happened, whether or not it made him uncomfortable.

Calloused fingers tapped the first video file.

It started off...Relatively plain. The video was pointed towards a warehouse, the picture a bit grainy but easily recognizable. The Vulture- Adrian Toomes, then pulled up to the building, the camera catching the sound of his breaks squealing as he parked. The man left his car and entered the warehouse. Forwarding ahead revealed Peter following only half an hour or so later.

Tony felt dread grow in the pit of his stomach. He couldn't see what was going on, but within a few moments, there was rumbling and cracking, booming against the camera's sound feed.

And then the warehouse completely _collapsed_.

Toomes' mechanical wings carried him to safety, but Peter was nowhere to be seen.

Tony felt like he couldn't breathe. He had to look over to Peter, just to make sure the boy was really there, was safe, was _not under a building_.

(If he scooted his seat closer to Peter's bed, it wasn't like anyone had to know).

He couldn't believe it. Toomes was a father, and he just left Peter, a _kid_ , buried under the ruins of the warehouse.

Then he heard Peter crying out for help.

And the boy sounded absolutely _terrified_.

Tony couldn't remember exactly when his free hand latched onto Peter's, and he quickly pulled his hand back. Peter's voice was still pleading for help.

Tony could've helped him. But where had he been? Sitting around enjoying a drink, Tony thought bitterly.

For an agonizing couple of minutes, all that could be heard was Peter's cracking, panicked voice. This was followed by a breathless few seconds of terrifying silence. Then,

"C'mon Spiderman..."

Peter's voice was so soft that Tony barely caught it. But the fact was Tony _did_ hear it, and those two simple words sent a jolt up the inventor's spine.

"C'mon Spiderman..!"

Another shock of electricity the shot through his nerves. Something about those words just seemed so... _powerful_. _Earth-shaking_.

The ruble of the warehouse suddenly shifted. The movement was small, almost unnoticeable at first in the grainy footage. But it was followed by more movement, and the the wreckage was shifted up and outward.

Peter had lifted the toppled walls and twisted metal off of himself.

Tony's mind was blank except for one passing thought:

 _Holy crap_.

Tony knew that Peter was exponentially stronger than the average human, thanks to the spider bite, but _this_...This was ridiculous. In the back of his head, Tony made a note to someday test Peter's strength, because his calculations on that front were _definitely_ off.

Peter stumbled free, coughing up dust and shaking violently, still somewhat in shock. Tony wanted it to stop there, wanted that to be all, but he knew better. He knew even before it showed on the video that Peter followed Toomes, even after lifting a building off of himself.

The video ended as Peter took off.

Tony shut the video feed and took a deep, wavering breath as he ran a hand through his hair. He knew it would be bad, but that...That had shaken Tony to his core.

His dark eyes turned Peter. The boy slept on peacefully, unaware of his injuries, of the I.V in his arm.

Tony took a few minutes to regain his bearings. He knew better than to dive right into the second video file, especially after what he just saw. No, he needed a moment to remind himself that Peter was _alive_ , and that he was _safe_.

Taking a deep breath, Tony leaned back in his seat, selecting the second video file.

It started just after the plane crash, Tony realized, as he stared at the fire and twisted, contorted metal.

Toomes looked _furious_.

The fight that followed was fast-paced. Peter seemed unaffected by the building collapsing on him earlier, as he fought with the same agility and flexibility as usual.

Peter was hit _again_ and _again_ , but he kept getting back up and- just why was Peter fighting so hard for Tony, after all the inventor had done and said?!

And then the Vulture was digging metal talons into Peter's front (the puncture marks, Tony realized, they'd come from those sharp metal talons). Peter cried out in pain, and Tony felt a flash of rage because _how dare_ Toomes do that!

Toomes lifted Peter from the ground, but the boy twisted free and continued to fight, ignoring the fresh wounds that bled down his hoodie.

Tony felt his heart all but stop when Toomes' talons dug into Peter's back and he slammed Peter into the ground- once. Twice.

The Vulture was lucky that he was locked away already, because if Tony could've, he would've _ripped that man apart_.

And yet...despite all the man had done, Peter till tried to warn him when he noticed that Toomes' wings were malfunctioning, and after the wings imploded and the Vulture fell into the flames, Peter clambered to his feet and ran to pull the man to safety.

And through the pain, Peter tied up Toomes and gathered all the tech he could until sirens could be heard in the distance, and when that happened, Peter took off, small sounds of pain leaving him as he forced his tired, aching body to move.

Tony closed the video file and slowly set aside the Starkpad. He rubbed at his eyes tiredly, then looked to the peacefully sleeping boy on the bed.

He couldn't help but think of the what if's. What if he hadn't taken away the suit? What if he had actually taken the time to listen? What if he hadn't yelled at Peter and had actually just taken a step back to breathe?

He could've been there to help Peter. Peter might not have ended up so hurt, might have never been buried under that warehouse...

No suit, no help...Peter had done so much with nothing more than a homemade costume, his webshooters and his willpower and bravery.

This kid was amazing.

"...I was wrong, kid." Tony admitted quietly. "I wanted you to be better than me, I thought your weren't...But I was way off base."

Peter was better than him. He was better than all of the other Avengers, even.

There was no doubt in Tony's mind: someday Peter wouldn't be just an Avenger. He'd be _leading_ them.


End file.
